Can you really DIE from E-Coli?

Answer 1

Yes. A person can die from infection with certain types of E. coli. Specifically E. coli O157:H7. Furthermore, those people that do recover from E. coli O157:H7 infection will still have chronic damage to their kidneys which may ultimately shorten their lives.

Spinach is a healthy food. You may eat it. The problem with bagged "pre-washed" packaged spinach and salads is that people tend to eat it right out of the bag without washing it again. That is not healthy. Raw food should be thoroughly washed, not just rinsed. Cooking does kill most pathogens.

For some people, especially young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, foodborne illness can be very dangerous.

Foodborne illnesses are more common that most people think. Use a brush to scrub produce with firm or rough surfaces, such as oranges, cantaloupes, potatoes and carrots. You should always soak raw fruits and vegetables in chlorinated tap water for a few minutes and rub them to get them clean. Then rinse them under running tap water before you prepare and eat them . Any bacteria left-over will be killed by cooking.

At this time, Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, is recalling all of its products that contain spinach in all the brands they pack with “Best if Used by Dates” of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006. The products were distributed to about 20 states and Mexico.

Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature’s Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe’s, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D’Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Pro*Act, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer’s Market, Tanimura & Antle, President’s Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.

Sometimes, the contamination comes from cow manure used as fertilizer. Cows, pigs, sheep and horses may be infected with E. coli O157:H7 and not become ill. In the past, contaminated seeds, irrigation water, and flooding have contributed to E. coli outbreaks traced to alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, spinach, parsley, and other fresh produce.

E. coli O157:H7 has formerly been found on all types of produce including strawberries, lettuce and bean sprouts. It has also been found in meat. You should thoroughly wash all vegetables and fruits that you eat raw. The tap water is chlorinated which generally is sufficient to kill most bacteria but O157:H7 is also resistant to chlorine so you must soak the vegetables for around 10 minutes and use friction to rub the vegetables. Unpasturized fruit juices were the source of a large E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in 1996.

Meat must be thoroughly cooked. E. coli O157:H7 bacteria is believed to mostly live in the intestines of cattle, but has also been found in the intestines of chickens, deer, sheep, and pigs. E. coli O157:H7 does not make the animals that carry it ill; the animals are merely the reservoir for the bacteria.

It takes about 2 to 8 days for a person to show signs of infection which include:
o- bloody diarrhea
o- nausea and vomiting
o- severe abdominal cramps
o- fever

Healthy adults infected with E. coli O157:H7 may recover within 5 to 10 days without treatment. The higher risk is for those with a compromised immune system, children and older adults. A serious complication is called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). It leads to destruction of the red blood cells and kidney failure. About 2%-7% of infections lead to this complication. Even with the patient receiving intensive care, the death rate from hemolytic uremic syndrome can be about 3%-5%.

The very infectious E. coli -- type O157:H7 may also be antibiotic resistant. During the current epidemic of E.coli O157:H7 found in spinach an 85-year-old woman died in Wisconsin and 50 people have been hospitalized.

The CDC estimates that about 73,000 cases of E.coli related illness occur each year. And 76 million cases of other foodborne illness. As a direct result of pathogenic E. coli infections and its complications, every year 2,100 Americans are hospitalized, and 61 people die. A recent study estimated the annual cost of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses to be $405 million (in 2003 dollars). Those costs that contributed to this estimate included $370 million for premature deaths, $30 million for medical care, and $5 million for lost productivity.

The virulence of E. coli O157:H7 is a result of its ability to produce Shiga-like toxins, or verotoxins. Shiga-like toxins inhibit protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells and play a role in hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome by causing damage to endothelial cells in the kidneys, pancreas, brain, and other organs, thus inhibiting those organs’ ability to function.

The primary mode of transmission of E. coli at agricultural fairs, petting zoos, and farm visits was previously thought to be fecal-oral – that is, by ingestion of bacteria-laden feces via contaminated food or water, or transfer by hand to mouth following contact with contaminated surfaces or animals. Conclusions reached by investigators in several recent fair-associated outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 suggest that ingestion or perhaps even inhalation of contaminated dust particles may be an additional cause of E. coli infection among fairgoers and visitors to petting zoos.

Answer 2

You can certainly die from an acute E. coli infection. A certain variety of E. Coli, E. Coli H157, also known as E. Coli O157:H7, is responsible for a number of deaths to consumers in recent years. However, you have a chronic, not an acute infection. You have likely done some damage by not getting this treated, but you should recover if you get it taken care of now. Take all of the medicine you have been prescribed. Be sure you wipe yourself front to back, rather than the other way.

Answer 3

E-coli death toll rises in Walkerton
Updated Fri. Oct. 13 2000 1:45 PM ET


The number of deaths linked to a tainted water tragedy in Walkerton in southwestern Ontario has risen to seven.

Ontario's chief coroner had said that six people were known to have died from water contaminated with a deadly bacteria in May.

But now an expert panel, has increased that number to seven -- four caused by E. coli, and three in which E. coli was a contributing factor.

The outbreak also made more than 2,000 people ill. Investigators found the outbreak was caused by E. coli from cattle manure being washed by heavy rains into one of the town's wells.

A full public inquiry into tragedy begins Monday.

The answer is YES!

Answer 4

E Coli can be deadly. But not everyone dies from e-coli. The news reported this week that those who die from e-coli most likely have affected immune systems or other health factors that become impared by the e-coli. Basically, if you have a bad heart, cancer or other serious condition and contract e-coli you may not be able to fight off the complications.

I hope that wasn't to confusing and helps a little.

Answer 5

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/DtvRp

" is there a high possiblity that i could die since its been almost a year that i havent gone to see a dr about the problem and i havent even treated the infection?" -- The specific strain of E. coli already mentioned, O157:H7, has caused a complication known as HUS, which stands for hemolytic uremic syndrome, and HUS has been fatal in some cases but generally people survive and recover. Incidentally, E. coli is short for Escherichia coliform. You have E. coli in your large intestine and it belongs there. It synthesizes vitamin K, necessary for proper blood clotting. As long as it remains in your colon, it's not a problem but it get passed out with stool and ends up on the perineum, the skin around your anus. From there, it can be inadvertently transferred to other sites, such as, in your case, the urethra. If you haven't died by now, you're not likely to. "ive read that the infection can cause kidney failure & since i havent treated it would i have a higher posibility to have a kidney failure." -- If all you've had for the past year is urinary bladder pain and no symptoms of pyelonephritis, then consider yourself fortunate, finish your prescription, drink 2-3 liters of water every day and recover.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Can you really DIE from E-Coli?

Answer 7

As I read the other answers here, I recalled an episode of "Forensic Files" that I watched a month or so ago...
children were becoming very ill, and filling up the hospitals faster than (they) could figure out what was happening. One little girl had died.
The eventual culprit was apple juice, which hadn't been pasteurized - apples gathered from the ground where manure (from infected cows) had been.
I just did a quick search on the Web - an article (see "Know your source?") says children and the chronically ill and elderly can develop potentially lifethreatening conditions if exposed to these bacteria.
The article suggests, "...if a bottle of apple or other juice doesn't clearly say pasteurized on the label, look for an air-sealed pop-top."

Answer 8

Ye syou can die from e-coli and it's a nasty way to go

Answer 9

Yes, many people have died after E. coli caused major digestion problems. That's why it's so important to boil water before drinking it.

Answer 10

I think very young children or the elderly are mostly at risk of death from e-coli. It releases toxins into the host and causes stomach pains, diarrhea and bloody discharge, and other symptoms. I think kidney failure is the main concern.

Answer 11

Absolutely! Especially if you're a child or senior and your immune systems are weaker. That's why it's not safe to eat undercooked hamburgers. When you work for some fast food places they make you watch this video about how kids died from it so you make sure to cook the burgers right and use proper hygiene. I personally wouldn't throw out my bags of spinach I would just boil the heck out of them.